Page 26 of Love Punch

Hehadto say those things that made my stomach swoop, didn’t he? And with that earnest look in his eyes, I doubted he even knew the effect it had on me.

We walked out of the dining room and down the corridor. “Your place or mine?” I teased, trying to put a little husk in my throat—and utterly failing.

“We ate at mine yesterday, so yours it is,” Bradley answered. I was glad I’d made sure my room was tidy before leaving it.

Like I ever left a room in a mess.

We kicked off our shoes and sat down on the bed cross-legged, knees touching. I topped up each of our glasses and reclined the champagne bottle between my two pillows. Bradley’s face was slightly flushed from the alcohol. The low light from the bedside lamp cast shadows over his angular face, and I just wanted to take those cheeks in my hands and kiss him silly.

“How are you feeling?” I asked.

“…better,” he said after a second. The smirk playing at the corners of his mouth made me believe him.

“Do you know what’s next for you? We’re here now, but…you know I’ll follow you, yeah? Whatever you decide to do next. If you need an assistant, I will continue to…assist.”

“I think we both know I’d be lost without you.”Damn.There he was saying another thing that made my heart do somersaults. “You’ll always be welcome.”

“Do you think you’ll go into commentating? Or acting?”

Bradley laughed. “I amnota WWE wrestler. No way am I going on to act in every action film under the sun.”

“You could be Bradley ‘the Pebble’Tyler!” I laughed. “Get it! Like… a bit smaller than the Rock.”

“Oh, I got it,” Bradley grumbled, though I didn’t miss the way his mouth twitched. “But no, I need to go on that holiday we talked about. Maybe indefinitely. And then…maybe I’ll talk to Jason about training. I think you hit the nail on the head theother day, I took my eye off the ball at the gym. There are kids there who could so with some direction from me.”

“That sounds nice. Want me to set it all up when you’re away? So you can hit the ground running?

“You’re coming with me, those were the terms agreed.”

“Fine,” I giggled, feeling the flush from the champagne. “For how long?”

“As long as we’re having fun. Think of all the money I have and how little fun I’ve had with it.” Bradley looked up and flashed me a longing smile. “We could fly anywhere.”

“What’s got you all wistful?”

He sobered. “You asked about the future…do you believe in marriage?”

The image of Bradley getting down on one knee had crossed my mind once or twice in the preceding couple of years. “I think I do,” I started, then took another gulp of liquid courage. “Do you? What are you looking for in a man?”

Bradley looked at me and in that moment, his eyes were like deep pools: impossible to see right through to their depths. “Cory is married,” he said, so quietly I hardly heard him.

“What the fuck? To who?” I asked. I thought his cousin had looked somewhat worried earlier, but never would have guessed that he—

“I can’t say. I trust you more than I trust myself, but I promised him. I’m shocked, to say the least And it got me thinking…”

For a second, he swayed slightly, and I thought he might lean in. But then he reclined against the headboard before taking a sip of champagne. “…it got me thinking about the future, is all.”

“I get it—"

“I need to say this, because it’s not fair otherwise. I promised myself. The only thing I’m certain of…is you.”

And this time, Bradleywasleaning in. And so was I. We were so close…

“Shit. No. I…” Bradley jerked away and scrambled backwards off the bed, spilling champagne on himself in the process. “I’m sorry, Arthur. I-I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

Then he slipped through the en-suite door and was gone.

Fuck.

---